Bliss
by Bluestarshine
Summary: "You have no idea how good it is to hear you laugh, to see your face and just listen to your voice again."


**Disclaimer: I claim or own nothing. The Oranges belongs to its respective owners.**

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Paris is said to be captivating in the spring.

Crisp, cool air and fresh, bright flowers bursting with life. An array of colours, noises and pictures, fill the city of love at this time. Beauty is everywhere, unable to be missed or forgotten, or so he has been told.

Life kept him away from Paris, and away from all of the other beauties and wonders of the world. He doesn't really know what spring time looks like, or how it feels, when it rolls around in Paris. David can only imagine the air, and the atmosphere, as it brushes over him and crawls up his skin. He can only shut his eyes and pretend that the flowers are all in front of him, that he can see their beauty and note their differences.

David wouldn't know what a Paris spring was like had it not been for the post-card that had arrived two weeks earlier. It had spent a week and a half on his best friend Terry's fridge, before David had decided to read it.

His mind had been wild after its arrival, wild with thoughts and questions about what her life was like now and how she was. Finally, his fingers had gripped the card and he had turned it over to read it. David read it thoroughly, held it closely, and tried his hardest to picture everything just as she described it.

Nina. She had set off travelling over two months ago, but her travels were different this time. This was her time, her chance to focus on herself, to live the life she wanted on her own.

David knew she needed to be on her own, but he found difficulty accepting it and so, for the fifth time that day, he found another excuse to walk to the fridge and re-read the postcard, study her handwriting and smile at the simple thought of her being happy.

He could almost picture her writing on the card, smiling at the sights and beautiful surroundings, taking in it all, and he was happy for her even if he wasn't happy on his own.

The walk back across the road, to his big, empty house seemed to take longer. It dragged on, until finally he was inside and alone. Again. The house was emptier than it had ever been, he felt it now, and the memories of the people that once filled it and the noises which once echoed through it only made it feel emptier. It all only made him feel more alone.

After locking the door, David walks down the corridor and enters the kitchen. Reaching the fridge, he pauses and stares at more emptiness. No postcards. He opens the fridge, after wondering for the hundredth time why she hadn't sent him a card.

Then he reminds himself that they're over, that this is probably for the best, that this is what they agreed on and she doesn't have to send him a card. Sending a card would only make it harder, but he doesn't see how it could be any harder than this.

David pulls out a carton of milk from the fridge, sets out a bowl and spoon and then searches for the cereal. He leans against the sink, and eats his cereal slowly. Once he has finished eating he hangs around the kitchen for a little while, because he doesn't really like wandering around the empty house filled with memories. The house reminds him of his old life, the life that he occasionally misses. The reminders hang around for a while, hovering around him, but after a few drinks he's able to forget them – but never her. She never really leaves his thoughts, not completely.

He settles down in front of the television, but doesn't turn it on because he wants to try and picture something else. David shuts his eyes and tries to picture Nina in the spring, under a cherry blossom tree with a wild, sweet smile on her lips.

Then he tries to see her beside a soft lake, or a beach with cool waves. Next, she comes to him in a busy market surrounded by a crowd of faces. He finds her in a small café next, sipping on a strawberry milkshake. The next image that flashes before his closed eyelids is, by far, his favourite.

A tiny villa on, with a sturdy black railing and a beautiful view. She's leaning against it, her hanging down, looking out on the water, and observing the smeared fragments of colour in the sky. When that image fades, a dozen more take its place. Roses and flowers, all of different colours, floating before his eyes.

Empty streets and bright lamps. Waves of water and orange sunsets. Nina appears again, just for a minute. This image is the clearest, the closest one, but it is also the shortest one. One second she's there, her light hair swaying in the wind, smiling at him. It almost feels real. Almost.

Then, another second passes and she's gone. David's eyes are forced open and he finds himself in his big, empty house that now holds nothing for him.

Later on in the evening he finds himself at his desk, searching for tickets to Paris. He almost buys the tickets, just like he almost sends her an email. Soon enough, David has switched off the computer before he makes a mistake.

He wanders through the house until he's in the kitchen, pouring himself another glass of scotch David then takes a seat down in front of the television and switches it on, searching carelessly through the channels. He settles on an unfamiliar show, in a language he doesn't know, and leans back with the glass still firmly in his hand.

This is how he has spent nearly every evening since everyone left. Vanessa calls him sometimes, talking mostly about her career and her new life. She sounds happy, and it always brings a smile to David's face knowing that his daughter has everything she wanted, and that she's found happiness. Paige never calls, not that David expected her to. He misses her often, but knows that she has found happiness just like Terry and Cathy have, again. They invite him over occasionally, but whenever he goes it usually turns awkward.

David finds that being alone is sometimes the easiest thing. Going out isn't great. He often receives glances, and hears muttered words, and as much as he tries to ignore them sometimes they can't be forgotten. Being alone, for now, seems to be the easiest thing for him. He doesn't have to pretend to miss the glances, or act like he didn't hear their words. This way, David doesn't have to put up a front, or pretend that he's not how he is; uncertain and lonely.

His days aren't as happy as they once were, and he blames himself for letting things become what they did. He blames himself for letting the happiness fading away, and doing nothing to fight for it. He should have fought, because it was worth it, because being with Nina made him feel like a better person. David had been happier than he could recall being in years, and it was all because of Nina and the way she loved him.

The sudden sound of the phone ringing causes David to return to reality, and pull himself up from the couch. He walks quickly towards it, frowning slightly as he thinks about who would be calling him, because Vanessa called yesterday.

"Hello?"

"_You look miserable, David."_

"Terry?!" David frowns, his head snapping towards the window. "What the...How-"

"_Why don't you come over for dinner?"_

"I already ate."

"_Cereal? Really? Cathy says that's not a good enough meal, and I agree. So, come on over because we actually went shopping-"_

"You're using the binoculars again, aren't you, Terry?" David answers quickly. "Look, I'm fine. Okay?"

"_I was reading up online-"_

"Goodnight, Terry."

"_See you in the morning?"_

"Yep." David nods briefly. "See you in the morning."

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**A/N: **_So, I'm not exactly sure what sparked my idea for this fic but here it is and I hope you enjoy reading it. This is set two months after the end of the movie.._

_Thanks for reading._

_x_


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